Opposition Leader Urges LG for Dalit Mayor Appointment in Delhi MCD

Leader of Opposition in the MCD, Sardar Raja Iqbal Singh, has urged Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena to appoint a Dalit mayor as per the DMC Act. Singh also requested the LG to direct authorities to form the Sixth Delhi Finance Committee, highlighting a significant backlog of funds faced by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

In his letter to the LG, Singh expressed concern over the delayed mayoral elections, which were supposed to occur during the first MCD House meeting in April. He claimed that the MCD has been operating unconstitutionally for the past 18 months, with current mayor Shelly Oberoi occupying the position in violation of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act.

Delayed Mayoral Elections

The letter stated, "We would like to draw your attention towards the unconstitutional working of the MCD for last almost 18 months...the affairs of the corporation are governed by the provisions of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957. In accordance with section 35 of the said Act, the election of the Mayor has to be held annually. Further, the provision mandates and reserves the office of Mayor for the first year to a woman member and for the third year to a member belonging to the SC community."

Singh pointed out that it was mandatory for the MCD House to elect a Scheduled Caste community Mayor in April 2024. However, as of late July 2024, this has not occurred, which he described as a severe violation of the DMC Act. The letter was also signed by Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor.

Response from Aam Aadmi Party

The Aam Aadmi Party responded by stating that it had nominated Mahesh Khichi from the Dalit community for the mayoral polls. They alleged that BJP and LG prevented these elections from taking place. "The LG cancelled the elections on the pretext of not getting inputs from the chief minister, while he did not seek advice for appointing the presiding officer," said AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar.

Kumar added, "The BJP and LG should not snatch rights of Dalits and complete the process of making a Dalit son the mayor of Delhi soon."

Constitutional Violations

The present MCD House was constituted in February 2023, and AAP's candidate Shelly Oberoi was elected as mayor according to DMC Act guidelines. The Act prescribes that a woman candidate should be elected as Mayor in the first year. However, due to political issues within MCD, Oberoi continued into her second year instead of electing a general category male mayor in April 2024.

Singh criticised this situation, stating that "most unconstitutionally general community female Mayor Shelly Oberoi continues to work as mayor." He accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his party of denying a rightful opportunity to a Dalit Councillor.

Finance Commission Concerns

Singh also highlighted that it is constitutionally required to form a Finance Commission for MCD every five years under clause 1 of Article 243-1. However, he noted that CM Arvind Kejriwal's government has failed to do so. As a result, MCD continues to receive funds based on decisions made by the Fifth Delhi Finance Commission in 2016-17.

He urged LG Saxena to ensure an SC community member is elected as mayor promptly and that an order is issued for constituting the Sixth Delhi Finance Commission immediately.

The mayoral polls were postponed in April due to non-appointment of a presiding officer by LG Saxena. The LG cited CM Kejriwal's absence—who is currently in Tihar Jail related to an excise-linked money laundering case—as a reason for not approving a presiding officer.

Singh concluded by stressing that immediate intervention is necessary to rectify these constitutional violations and ensure proper governance within MCD.